Roundup: ACC 2017 for the Cath Lab

Buzz-generating studies reported in Washington

Hopes that longer-term data might ease some of the issues with the Absorb bioresorbable scaffold still haven't panned out, with 2-year results still showing an increased target lesion failure rate over the metallic Xience stent.

Faster and more comfortable to get than the fractional flow reserve -- and just as safe -- the instantaneous wave-free ratio "may be the new standard" for physiological assessment, according to two studies.

It was safe to give patients with stable angina and chronic total occlusion just optimal medical therapy, according to the DECISION-CTO trial. Through 5 years, event rates were no different from a stenting approach.

Compared with a femoral approach, radial access stenting was tied to more radiation exposure to the operator. "I think that most operators are not aware of the excess radiation danger [with radial access]," said an author of the MATRIX substudy. "We want to make them aware of this danger so they can use practical precautions in limiting that exposure.

Almost a quarter of patients developed cerebral microbleeds after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, French researchers reported. Visible on MRI, these microbleeds were tied to more disability at 6 months.